


Fanning the Flames

by Delilah_Jupiter



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-06
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:00:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26329783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Delilah_Jupiter/pseuds/Delilah_Jupiter
Summary: It's been a few years since team avatar defeated the fire Lord and saved the world. Now that it's at peace, they have time to find out who they are. And what they want.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Aang/Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Aang/Zuko (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	1. Alone with Zuko

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever posted fic!! I sincerely hope you enjoy it and if you have any comments or suggestions, or just notice some spelling/grammer mistakes, please let me know below. Thanks for reading!!

Aang walked down the hallway and out onto the balcony. There was nothing like a midnight walk to bask in the afterglow of an evening spent with Katara. To his surprise, Zuko was there.  
"What are you doing up so late?" Aang asked with a chuckle.  
Zuko smiled. "I could ask you the same thing."  
Aang blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "Just... Enjoying life." He said with a smile.  
Zuko smiled back and raised an eyebrow. "I see. I'm surprised you're not 'enjoying life' out here with Katara."  
"Nah, she's asleep. She always gets tired... Uh, afterward."  
"Good to know." Zuko said, rolling his eyes.  
His scar had always been a bit of a sensitive subject, so Aang would never tell him this to his face, but somehow the scar on his eye made the effect... Very cute.  
"So how about you? What're you doing out so late Zuko?"  
"Couldn't sleep." He said with a shrug. "I went to the window and felt how cool the air was. Seemed like a nice night for a walk."  
"You wanna take one then?"  
"What, you and me?"  
"Yeah, why not?"  
"... I guess it'd be alright."  
"You sure? It's ok if you want some time alone. No pressure."  
"No, it's alright. We haven't had a chance to hang out for a while now. It'll be nice to spend some time together. Just the two of us."  
"Hehe yeah." Aang said with a grin.  
They headed out of the mansion and down to the beach. They followed the shoreline and enjoyed the starry sky and the sound of the waves. Aang spoke up after a moment of silently looking out at the ocean.  
"I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately. Especially after everything that happened with Mai."  
Zuko looked at him in surprise. "It's... Ok. We're both busy people." He said somberly.  
"I know, but still... I wish I'd been there for you when it happened. You're one of my best friends and I love you. I should've made time."  
Zuko smiled in mild embarrassment. Leave it to an Airbender to be so honest about his emotions. "It's fine. Really. I'm doing a lot better now, but... Thank you. This is really nice, you know? Just you and me. Midnight stroll on the beach. Just... Talking. It's nice." Zuko said with a soft, warm smile.  
Aang retuned the look. He chuckled at the thought that popped into his head. Now seemed like a good time. "Hey Zuko."  
"What?" Zuko asked as he turned to look at his friend.  
"This." Aang said as he leaned in and kissed Zuko on the cheek.  
Zuko stepped back in surprise and rubbed his cheek. "What are you doing?!"  
Aang smiled and laughed. "Sorry, sorry." He apologized. His face fell when he saw the look on Zukos face. "I really am sorry. I should've asked. I'm sorry." He sat down in the sand and facepalmed. "Ugh, why'd I think that was a good idea."  
Zuko calmed down a bit at seeing Aangs regret. "It's... Alright. I'm not mad or anything, I just didn't expect it. I mean, what about Katara?"  
"She knows. Sometimes we talk about guys we think are cute. She knows that I... That I like you."  
Zuko blushed at the comment. "But still, isn't she gonna be mad? When she finds out you... Did something about it? You two've been together for years. Even if you've talked to her about me, isn't this cheating?"  
"Not really. Not for us at least. I guess it's a little different in the northern water tribe since there's so many more people, but in the south it's not that rare for people to take more than one spouse. I mean, it's such a small community, everybody winds up taking care of each other's kids anyway. And the air nomads didn't even do marriages. They thought love and sex were important parts of life, but also that it wasn't good for you spiritually to get too attached to any one person. They called it 'free love'. So, Katara and I kinda meet in the middle. We're both allowed to date other people as long as everyone knows what's going on. Plus..."  
"Plus what?"  
"It's not important right now. Look, I'm sorry I kissed you. I don't want this to mess up our friendship, so please, please, just forget it happened."  
"Aang, I... I'm really not mad. I was just upset because I thought you were cheating on your girlfriend. I don't hate you for kissing me. Honestly."  
Aang looked at him in surprise. He bent a small updraft to help himself to his feet and said "Oh. Well then... Would you mind if I kissed you again. Like, a real kiss, not just on the cheek?"  
"I... Don't know about that. This is all too new for me. I don't... I've never kissed a guy before. I don't know if I'm even into guys that way. I'm sorry."  
"No, no, that's totally fine. I don't want to do anything you're not comfortable with. But, I might have another idea if you're ok with it."  
"What is it?"  
"Want to hold hands on the way back?"  
Zuko considered it for a moment. They were close friends and it wasn't like there was anyone around to see it. And worst case scenario, he could just... Let go. "I guess that would be alright."  
Aang smiled and held his hand out. Zuko hesitated for a second, but ended up taking it. After about a minute of walking together hand in hand, Zuko spoke up.  
"This is kinda weird."  
"Weird in a bad way?" Aang asked.  
"No. Not bad. Just different." Zuko said with a small smile. A thought occurred to him and he asked "So... Have you ever been with a guy?"  
Aang looked at him, and with complete seriousness, said "Yeah. I have."  
They walked in silence the rest of the way back to the mansion, but Zuko kept his hold on Aangs hand.


	2. The decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aang takes a nice relaxing swim while Zuko has a minor crisis talking with Katara.

Zuko woke up later in the day than he was used to. He was still a bit groggy when he remembered what had happened last night. He walked to the window and looked out at ember island. It was going to be a beautiful day. He rubbed the bridge of his nose. He'd come for a vacation to get away from some of the stress of being the firelord. Now he had an entirely different kind of stressful situation to deal with. With a sigh, he walked to the closet and dressed himself and headed down to the kitchen. He gave the cook his breakfast request and walked to the dining area, pausing at the doorway. Aang and Katara were already there eating.  
"Good morning Zuko." Aang said.  
"Yeah, good morning." Katara said as well. "So how was your 'midnight stroll'" she asked with a knowing smirk.  
Zuko was unamused. "I guess he told you then."  
Aang and Katara shared a concerned look between themselves. "Yes, he did. He always does. How about you? How are you feeling about what happened?"  
"I don't know. I'm not sure how to feel about it right now."  
"Zuko, I meant it when I said I don't want to do anything you're not comfortable with. If you want to just forget it happened I'll-"  
"No! I mean, that's not what I'm trying to say. I really do think I could be okay with this, I just... I don't know how much of what I'm feeling is me, and how much is how I think people will react when they find out."  
"No. I get that. You're the firelord, I'm the avatar, Katara's probably going to end up being my wife. What we're talking about goes against the conventions of 'polite society'." Aang said the last bit with a grimace and finger quotes for emphasis. "Sigh. Sometimes... I kinda wish I wasn't like this. That I was only interested in women and only one at at time. Or even no one at all. It sure would've made things a lot easier at Ba Sing Se. But I know what's not what I really want. I want a world that doesn't look at me strangely for being too close to another man. Or for holding hands with two people as I walk down the street. I want to not be judged just for being myself."  
Zuko was a bit taken aback by this. By how much he could relate to what aang was saying. He jumped when heard a voice behind him say "Your food is ready firelord Zuko." The servant set the tray down on the table in front of Zuko and removed the lid. "My deepest apologies my lord. I didn't mean to startle you."  
"It's... Alright."  
The servant looked at him for a moment. "Very well my lord. Do you need anything else?"  
"No. That will be all. Thank you."  
"Of course my lord. Please don't hesitate to call upon me. I am at your service." she said with a bow before leaving the room.  
Zuko put his face in his hands. "You think she heard any of that?"  
Katara shrugged. "Maybe. Probably nothing you said."  
"You're not worried about someone finding out?"  
"Well, yeah. A little bit. But also, not really. Like Aang said, he's the Avatar. And I'm a master waterbender. It probably would be a scandal if it got out, but if some people don't like it, what're they gonna do? Fight us? Besides, we haven't really treated it like it's this huge secret or anything. I mean, we're not putting up posters saying 'If you want to fuck the Avatar and/or his girlfriend, come to whaletail island at the end of the month' but still..." She shrugged again "we've been open for a couple years now and YOU, one of our closet friends just found out yesterday."  
Zuko considered that for a moment.  
"Anyway, Aang and I were talking about going for a swim after breakfast. I'm done eating so I'll probably head down to the beach after I get changed. You coming Aang?"  
"Yeah, I'm coming. You should join us Zuko. For a swim I mean, hehe."  
This whole 'open relationship' thing really did seem to be on the level. And Aang had made it clear that it was his decision whether or not to give this a try, and that he could stop at any time. He ate his meal a bit quickly, changed into his swimwear, grabbed a beach towel, and headed down after the couple. Katara was laying in the sun on the beach while Aang used waterbending to stay afloat as he rode the incoming waves. It was what he'd always worn while swimming, but Zuko was a bit embarrassed to catch himself noticing that it was essentially just underwear, covering his butt and genitals and not much else. He laid out his towel next to Kataras' and sat down. "Thought you were going swimming." Zuko said.  
"I will. Just felt like enjoying the view for now. How about you? See anything you like? And I do mean ANYTHING." She said, gesturing at herself with a wink.  
"Ugh, don't tell me you've got a crush on me too."  
Katara sat up, looking a little bit hurt. "Well yeah. As a matter of fact I do. I've liked you about as long as Aang has. You know there's been a lot of times where I thought you'd make a good boyfriend. I mean, toward the beginning you'd almost immediately do something to make me regret thinking that way, but at least you've 'mostly' gotten better about it."  
"Sorry. I'm still kinda thrown off by all this. You said you've been open for two years now, so it's pretty much your normal, but for me it feels like it came out of nowhere. Yesterday I found out my best friend is in an open relationship, he sleeps with other men, and he's got a crush on me. Today I find out his girlfriend, my other best friend, also has a crush on me. I haven't had time to wrap my head around it, much less sort out any feelings I'm having or what, if anything I should do about them."  
"Hey, hey, it's alright. You don't have to do anything right now. You're right, for us it's just normal, but for you, it must feel like everything's completely different now. But it's not. This is pretty much who we've always been. We just trust you enough to be completely open about it with you now. What you do with that knowledge is up to you. If you decide to give dating Aang, or me, or both of us a try that's fine. If not that's fine too. At the very least, you know the two of us a bit better now." She finished with a small smile.  
Zuko returned the look.  
"Yeah. I guess you're right. Anyway, he looks like he's having fun out there."  
"He really does. He loves riding the waves like that. He says it's like flying on the water."  
"Almost makes me sad I can't waterbend."  
"You could still learn. I've heard of people carving wooden boards to ride on the waves like that. I think it's called 'surfing'."  
"Hmmm... Hey, can I ask you something?"  
"Go ahead."  
"You said that you've been open for a couple years now, and that you want to date me. Have you already dated other people besides Aang?"  
"I have. I've had four other boyfriends. He's had two boyfriends and another girlfriend. Right now though, we're both only dating each other."  
"So you're only interested in men then?" Zuko asked.  
"Eh. Most women don't really do a whole lot for me, but there are some that I've found attractive. I'm not willing to completely rule out meeting the right woman just yet. Don't tell her I said this, but if there's any woman I'd be okay with dating, it'd probably be Toph."  
Zuko couldn't help but laugh. "Seriously?"  
"Yeah. She's tough, funny, brave, and strong. Heh, she's manlier than a lot of the men I know, but she's also very pretty and she has a softer, more feminine side to her. She doesn't show it as much, but it's there. What about you? I know you're mainly into women, but I take it you're giving Aang some thought?"  
"I still don't know."  
"Well how about this. He's out there in front of us, soaking wet and nearly naked. How would you describe him. Don't force anything, just try to be honest with yourself."  
"... He's handsome. I guess."  
"Can you be more specific?"  
" He's tall." Zuko said with a hint of annoyance. "He's got a handsome face in a soft sort of way. He's slender, but toned. He's goofy, and sweet, and brave. He's probably the best man I've ever known."  
"And how did you feel when he held your hand and kissed your cheek?"  
"... I didn't hate it."  
"And how do you think you'd feel if he kissed you on the lips?"  
Zuko pictured it and blushed, but stayed silent.  
"How would you feel if he wrapped his arms around you and kissed your neck?"  
Zuko blushed harder, but still said nothing.  
"How would you feel if slid his hands down your sides, pulled down your pants, and started sucking your-"  
"Enough already! I get it."  
"Hehe sorry. I'm teasing you too much today. But to be honest, judging by your reactions, I think there might be something there if you let yourself give it a try. Worst case scenario, it's less fun in real life and you go back to just being friends. He'll be ok. He'll probably find someone else before too long." For some reason, Zuko felt a lump form in his stomach at the thought. "I say ask him out on a date tonight. After all that talk of touching and kissing, if you don't, I might have to." Katara said with a smirk.  
Zuko sighed. He knew she had a point. At the very least he was curious and he could certainly do worse than the Avatar. "Alright. You made your point. I'll take him out to dinner if that's what he wants."  
"Perfect. AAAAAANNGG!! COME HERE FOR A SECOND!!" she hollered out to him.  
Bending a small wave to carry him back to shore, Aang walked up to the pair. Zuko was now very aware of how lithe Aangs' body was as he stood dripping wet with a hand on his hip.  
"What's going on?" Aang asked.  
Zuko took a deep breath. "I was wondering... If you want to, that is... If you'd come with me to dinner tonight... As a... Date."  
Aang raised his eyebrows in surprise and his mouth spread into a grin. "I'd love to."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter woot!! Hopefully, putting these chapters on the internet will motivate me to keep working on them. Once again, if you have any comments or suggestions, or just notice a spelling error, let me know in the comments below. Thanks for reading!!!


	3. The First Date.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aang and Zuko prepare for their first date. Just how compatible will these two young men turn out to be?

Aang was practically bouncing in anticipation of his date with Zuko. He swam for a while longer, made sand sculptures with earthbending, found some interesting shells on the beach, and had lunch with his girlfriend and possible boyfriend-to-be. He let them know he'd be heading out for a bit; he had something he wanted to take care of before the date.  
"Where do you think he's going?"  
Katara just smiled and shrugged. Zuko sighed.  
"Do you at least have any advice before I do this?"  
"Yeah. Relax. You've gone on dates before, and you've hung out with him as a friend. Just put the two experiences together in your mind and that should give you a good idea of how it'll be. If something happens just pretend it's a perfectly innocent misunderstanding. Though, I doubt anyone will say anything, IF they suspect anything at all. For better or worse, Aang's gotten good at the more 'subtle' forms of romance. Just try to have fun and enjoy yourself."  
"Heh. I'll try. Thanks Katara." Zukos' smile fell when he thought about the 'for better or worse' comment. Aang had always been such an exuberant, happy-go-lucky guy. It must've been hard on him to hide who he is. Who he loves. Probably hard for Katara too. And if this turns out to be more than a one time thing, it'll probably be hard on him as well. He tried to push the thought from his mind, at least for the time being.  
"So, what're you gonna get up to while we're gone tonight?"  
Katara placed a finger to her lips and looked up, thinking it over.  
"Hmmm... Probably have a nice, quiet dinner. Maybe get in a little waterbending practice. You've got a nice little library here, so I might see if I can find something to read. Might spend a little 'alone time' thinking about my boyfriend making out with another man."  
Zuko facepalmed. "Why do you have to do that?"  
"Hahaha," Katara laughed "because it's too fun to tease you." She said with a mischievous smile "besides, you did ask, you know."  
"You're seriously going to masturbate while thinking about your boyfriend making out with me?"  
She shrugged again. "Hey, hot guys making out is hot. I don't make the rules. Besides..." She smirked and raised an eyebrow. "In my imagination, I doubt you two are going to stop at making out."  
Zukos' face turned bright red. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay. That's enough. I'm going to go take a bath."  
"Of course. You do have a big date tonight to look forward to. Haaaaaave fuuuuuun." She finished with a sing-songy voice.  
And so, Zuko bathed and dressed himself. His clothes were more casual than his usual firelord robes, but were very well made and stylish in an understated sort of way. He heard a knock at the door and opened it to find Aang holding a bouquet of flowers. There were golden snapdragons, fire lilies, ember blossoms, and in the center...  
"A sunflower?"  
"You don't like sunflowers?" Aang asked, looking a bit disappointed.  
Zuko shrugged. "Don't really know much about them. Just seemed a little on the nose when you put it with the others. Did you tell the florist they were for a firebender or something?"  
"No, no, I picked and arranged these myself."  
"You made this?"  
"Yeah. One of my exes was a florist who got me into flower arranging. It's very relaxing. Finding the right kind and colors, picking them at the right length for a bouquet, putting each one in the perfect position. It's kinda fun. Plus I like showing up for a first date with hand-picked flowers. I think it leaves a nice impression." he said, holding out the bouquet, his other hand on his chest, and his eyebrows wiggling.  
Zuko took a second look at the bouquet. The sunflower was a bit gaudy, but aside from that, it was quite pretty. He'd never really gotten flowers before and he found that it was actually very sweet.  
"Thank you. These are really nice. I'll have someone put them in a vase for me."  
Aang grinned. "I'm glad you like them."  
Zuko headed down the hallway and found the servant from earlier dusting in the sitting room.  
"Hey Ling, would you mind putting these in a vase with some water in my room?"  
She seemed a bit surprised for a moment, but then she smiled and said "Of course my lord, right away. I hope you don't mind me saying that it's a lovely bouquet. Interesting flower choices, but still, very pretty."  
"Heh, thank you." He gave the flowers to her and she headed off toward the storage area.  
Aang came up from behind Zuko. "Well... This might be a little awkward. She saw me come up with those flowers when I got back from picking them."  
Zuko sighed. "I guess that explains the look she gave me. There's no way she doesn't know what's going on now."  
"She probably doesn't care. I don't think most people have a problem with it. It's just ones who do tend to let you know very loudly."  
"Let's just head out."  
"Sure. I'll let Katara know and meet you out back."  
Zuko nodded and headed toward the rear entrance of the mansion. Aang joined him after a few minutes and they started down the trail to village.  
"Hey Zuko. You mind if I go ahead and get that kiss now?"  
"You just can't wait, can you?"  
"It's not that. I want to show you something."  
"What?"  
"Just trust me."  
Zuko rolled his eyes, but agreed to let him.  
Aang leaned in and gave Zuko a quick peck on the lips. Just long enough for him to process it, before he pulled away with a grin.  
"That's it?" Zuko asked, a bit confused.  
"Yeah, you see?"  
"... Not really, no. I don't get it."  
"It was just a kiss. Pressing your lips against someone else's. It doesn't have to be a huge deal unless we make it one. Same goes for our date tonight. We're just two people going into town for dinner. Just like how we were two people putting our lips together a moment ago."  
"I think I get what you're saying. Kind of."  
"And if tonight goes well, I'll give you a REALLY, real kiss at the end."  
Zuko rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You're a mess. C'mon. We ARE trying to get to town before the sun sets, aren't we?"  
Aang chuckled and held out his hand, which he was pleased to note that Zuko took much more readily this time. It seemed that easing him into things was working.  
"So... I talked to Katara earlier today. I guess she wants to date me too."  
"Heh. Yeah. You're definitely her type. She looooves slender pretty boys. Hehehe. An older guy I met once called them 'pastries'. You know, cause they're soft and sweet, typically a bit fruity, and if you're lucky, they'll be drizzled with cream. Oh man. I got called that a bunch of times before that, and I laughed so hard when he finally explained it to me."  
"Was he one of your ex-boyfriends? Katara mentioned you'd had a couple."  
"Nah, he was just a nice guy I met at a sauna. I mean, he did try to hit on me, but I wasn't really interested. His husband teased him about it a little bit. Well, he called him his husband, but it was in the central earth kingdom, so they weren't technically married in the legal sense. They said they'd been together for almost 30 years though. They even had a friend do a wedding ceremony for them."  
That made Zuko a bit uncomfortable. It hadn't occurred to him much before that point, but same-sex marriages were still illegal in a lot of places, including the fire nation.  
"That's pretty messed up. Them being together for that long and still not being able to get legally married, I mean."  
"Yeah. A lot of the earth kingdom is pretty set in their ways when it comes to that. At least Bumi made it legal in Omashu. A lot of people moved there just to get married when he legalized it. It's probably one of the most same-sex friendly places in the world these days."  
Zuko sighed. "I really should do that too. People don't deserve to be discriminated against just because of who they love. I'm just worried about the political pushback. There's still a lot of stubborn bigots in the government to deal with. Maybe I should just go ahead and do it, and tell them that if they don't like it, they can challenge me to an agni kai."  
"Oh man! That'd be so awesome!! But I guess I can also kind of understand your hesitation."  
"Yeah... So anyway, the guy from the sauna wasn't one of your exes, and you mentioned one of them was a florist, right?"  
Yeah, that was Nuwa. I actually met her when Katara and I went into her flower shop together. I guess she overheard Katara talking about the other guy she was dating at the time and just assumed I was single. Katara noticed she was checking me out and thought I should go talk to her. We flirted a bit, but she was a little weirded out when I explained that Katara was dating two people and that I had the option to do that too.  
She just happened to run into Katara, Fan, and I in a shop, and when she saw the three of us together, she just decided to give it a shot. We wound up dating for about 9 months. I guess it just wasn't right for her since she got with another guy almost right after, and they've been exclusive since then."  
"I'm sorry it didn't work out. What about the two guys you've dated?"  
"Well, there was Li Wei. He was a dress maker here in the fire nation. He was a really sweet guy, but he was worried about some rumors going around town about him. He didn't want his parents to know he was interested in men, so when he got the opportunity to work in Ba Sing Se, he took it. Hoped he could get a fresh start in a new city where he wouldn't have to hide as much. And for him, that meant he wanted to see about dating sometime a little lower profile than the Avatar. So, we broke up. After him, I got with Nowa, and after her I started dating Bumi."  
"The earth king?!"  
"Oh man, no. Not him. He doesn't swing that way. I actually used to think about kissing him sometimes back before I got frozen, but I was always too nervous. And no offense to him, but he's a little old for me these days. The Bumi I'm talking about is just named after him. It's actually kind of a weirdly sweet story. A long time ago, when his dad was just a kid, he was playing in the street and got hit by one of the mail delivery crates. King Bumi felt so horrible about it that he paid to have water tribe healers come to Omashu for him and he redesigned the entire delivery system so it wouldn't happen to anyone else. He's stayed in touch with him ever since, he got him a great job working for the government there, and he wound up naming his son after him. Anyway, the Bumi I dated worked in a bar. I met him at a party where he was serving drinks. He liked men and women, and loved having threesomes with Katara and I. We wound up getting in a big argument after I found out he cheated on me and we broke up."  
"He cheated on you? But I thought you were in an open relationship! How does that even work?"  
"It's easy. He had a drug habit that he kept secret from me and he was having sex with the guy who sold them to him so he could get them for free. I actually caught them in bed together."  
"What an asshole."  
"Tell me about it. Anyway, other than the three of them, I've had some sex friends that never turned into relationships, but that's about it for me."  
"I see."  
"And I can see the village now. As much as I like holding hands with you, if you're planning on letting go, now's probably a good time."  
"Oh yeah." Zuko said sadly. "I guess you're right." He reluctantly let go of Aangs' hand. "Sorry."  
"It's alright. I don't mind holding hands with you in town, but I understand if you're too nervous."  
"I'm sorry. Part of me wants to, but... I'm sorry Aang."  
"Hey." Aang put his hand on Zukos' shoulder. "It's really alright. It's best to do these things when you're ready, not before. We'll go at your pace, okay?"  
"Okay. Thank you."  
"Of course." Aang wrapped Zuko in a hug and rubbed his back a bit. He let go and said "now come on. Let's do some window shopping before we eat."  
Zuko chuckled. "Alright. Let's go."  
They walked into town and browsed some of the stalls in the market. There were shops selling tea sets, some selling snack foods, others sold souvenirs, trinkets, curios, and baubles. Some stalls were still being set up for the festival that was a couple days away. Zuko had actually timed his vacation around this celebration. Two weeks off, with a giant party in the middle.  
Aang stopped them at a stall selling small exotic pets. He held out a finger and a parakeet squirrel jumped to it from it's perch. He gently stroked it from it's head down to it's tail with the back of his finger, which it seemed to enjoy, judging from the way it nuzzled into his hand. "Who's a pretty animal? You are, yes you are." He cooed at it. "Does it have a name?" He asked the shop keeper.  
"Not yet, but you can buy her for ten gold pieces and give her one yourself."  
"Oh, sorry. I wasn't looking to buy her today. I just thought she was adorable."  
"Hrmph. Well at least she likes you. You mind putting her back down?"  
"Yeah, sorry. Come on Zuko."  
"Right." 'Aang definitely is an animal lover', Zuko thought to himself.  
It wasn't long before another shop caught Aangs' eye. "Ooh, ooh, crossdressing bar!!"  
"You're that into crossdressers?" Zuko asked.  
"CrossdressING." Aang corrected. "One of my sex friends got me into it. Oh don't give me that look. It's fun. Plus, HE was the one who liked to get dressed up. It seemed kinda fun so I gave it a try. I liked it too, so we started taking turns after a while."  
"Seriously?"  
"What?"  
"It's just... The Avatar... Likes to get fucked by men while crossdressing. It just kinda shatters some of the mystique surrounding the legend a little bit."  
"Zuko, have you ever been to any of the shrines to the Avatar? There's usually a room full of statues of all the past avatars, and about half of them are women. Roku and I are both men, and avatars being the same sex twice in a row like that is actually pretty rare. I've literally BEEN a woman before, and when I die and get reborn, I'll most likely be a woman again. You were probably a woman too at some point. I'm just not very worried about wearing the 'wrong' clothes for my gender. And besides, it's not like I only do it as a fetish. Sometimes it's just nice to get all prettied up. With a wig, a little makeup, and the right outfit, I make a decently pretty woman. Plus, there was this one time I used it as a disguise to infiltrate the crime syndicate that was-... I'm serious. That actually happened. I stayed in character for four whole days while I gathered evidence."  
"Riiiiiight. Anyway, I'm starting to get hungry. You ready to eat?"  
"Sure. I see a restaurant up the street there on the left."  
"Sounds good to me."  
They went in and ordered their meals and by the time they'd finished, the sun was beginning to set.  
They walked around a bit more and wound up toward the center of town. They saw a large fountain in the town square and Aang hatched an idea.  
"Wait here a second."  
"What are you doing?"  
"Just wait, you'll see."  
Aang walked over to the edge of the fountain and bent a small blob of water into the air. Bringing it to his face, he blew into the floating water and formed a massive number of bubbles. Bringing both hands together, he splayed his fingers and slowly spread his arms apart, and in doing so, the bubble filled blob began to separate into over a hundred floating bubbles each with a hole in the center. It must've taken an incredible amount of concentration and skill, and the display was beginning to draw a sizeable crowd of curious onlookers. With one outstretched hand, Aang made a fist, palm side up. Snapping the fist open, he bent a fireball that also rose into the air. He took a deep breath and squeezed his fist shut again, causing the fireball to burst into a shower of small flames, and, quick as a lighting strike, moved each bubble into place to catch every flame until they were floating inside the bubbles. With a slow whirl of his arms the floating water candles began to swirl in air and he finally relaxed. It was amazing. The crowd went wild and began applauding the display of bending prowess. Zuko was dumbfounded and could only stare wide-eyed in awe. He knew Aang was an amazingly skilled bender, but this? It was on a whole other level. The dexterity, the creativity, the beauty. It reminded him of when he and Aang had first met the dragons Ran and Shaw and been surrounded by their rainbow flames. He realized Aang was looking at him. With half lidded eyes and a soft, confident smile. The crowd faded away in Zukos'mind. It was just him and Aang. And Aang had done this just for him. Zuko felt his heart skip a beat. But then reality came back as the cheering crowd began to surround Aang.  
"He's the Avatar!" "That was amazing!" "Will you be doing that during the festival!" "Aang I love you!"  
Aang suddenly seemed a little embarrassed and overwhelmed. Zuko moved toward the crowd and made his way through to him.  
"Alright folks, the shows over!" He hollered.  
"Aww man." "That was so cool!" "I didn't even get his autograph."  
As the crowd dispersed, Zuko turned and faced Aang. The sun had set and the light was fading. The fountain and the two of them were mainly lit by the still floating bubbles. It reminded him of his date with Jin.  
"You did that just for me?"  
"Heh. Yeah." As he said this, he smiled and looked down and to the side. "Hey Zuko. Come with me."  
"Alright."  
Aang grabbed Zuko by the wrist and pulled him down the street before ducking into an alley. Checking that the coast was clear, he gently nudged Zukos' back against the wall.  
"I really want to kiss you again right now."  
Zuko took a breath. "Alright."  
Aang put one arm against the small of Zukos' back and the other behind his neck. Tilting his head slightly sideways, he brought his lips against Zukos'. This kiss was different from the one before. Zukos' breath caught in his throat and his mind went blank. This was what he'd meant by a 'really, real kiss'. He felt Aangs' lips part slightly and his tongue pressing against his own lips. Slowly he spread them and felt the slippery tongue enter his mouth. There their two tongues rubbed and danced, making his knees a bit weak. Aang began to pull his tongue back into his own mouth, and his lips gently gripped Zukos' bottom lip before they parted from his mouth altogether. The two men were breathing a little harder, their pulses had quickened, and they locked eyes. Aang was back on him in a moment, his top hand sliding down Zukos' neck to his chest, while Zuko placed his arms on Aangs' shoulders, his wrists overlapping. They began to kiss passionately again. Aang moved his kisses over to Zukos' cheek, then down to his neck. Once his lips made contact with the sensitive flesh, Zuko let out first a whimper then a soft moan. Aang pulled back again and looked at Zuko. He paused for a moment before finally saying  
"Zuko... I really want to suck your penis."  
Zuko leaned his head back against the wall, but didn't break eye contact. Drawing in a deep breath, he closed his eyes and swallowed hard. He let out the breath and said  
"Okay... Let's head back home."  
Aang smiled and gave Zuko one more kiss. They headed back out of town toward the trail. Drawn inexorably toward the bedroom. The trip back took longer than necessary as the two stopped frequently to kiss and feel each other's bodies. They finally made it home and to the bedroom. This was it. Zuko was really going to see if he could go through with it. With making love to another man. With his best friend. With Aang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters keep getting longer lol this one was a bit fluffy, and the next one should really heat things up hehe.


End file.
